Controversial Plans for a Skyscraper in Zermatt

The 260m tower in the Swiss resort has drawn both support and opposition from locals and architecture experts.

Some are questioning whether such a large tower belongs in a village known for its traditional wooden homes, small streets, and natural mountain scenery.

Lina Peak is designed to help solve Zermatt’s serious housing shortage, especially for seasonal workers who often struggle to find a place to live.

There is some scepticism about whether luxury apartments aimed at wealthy foreigners would help the housing problem for locals.

Zermatt, Switzerland. Image c/o PlanetSKI.

The tower would be about 800m from Zermatt on farmland at 1,500m.

The building would be on a 40m × 40m footprint, making it tall but relatively compact at the base.

From the 2nd to the 32nd floor, the tower would offer relatively affordable housing for residents and seasonal workers, many of whom struggle to find affordable accommodation in Zermatt.

Floors 33 to 62 would be luxury apartments with views of the Matterhorn that would appeal primarily to foreign buyers.

The skyscraper’s base would have a 2,500-seat concert hall, retail outlets, restaurants, a sports center, a public swimming pool and a daycare center.

A rooftop terrace would be accessible via high-speed elevators.

Lina Peak tower in Zermatt. Image © Heinz Julen

The permanent population of Zermatt is around 5,800 people.

During peak times in winter the number grows to around 40,000.

The estimated cost of the Lina Peak project is around CHF 500 million (£470m).

If approved construction would take five to ten years.

The developer has already acquired the farmland plots needed, but major hurdles remain.

Including changing the land from agricultural to residential/commercial and winning approval through a public referendum.

The project requires around 600 signatures to trigger the re-zoning process.

Only then would a vote among the community decide whether the tower can go ahead.

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